Final answer:
The distance to stars in kilometers can be calculated by multiplying the number of light years away they are by 9.46 \u00d7 1012 km. For example, Alpha Centauri is 41.34 \u00d7 1012 km away from Earth, and Proxima Centauri is 40.12 \u00d7 1012 km away from Earth based on their respective distances in light years.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the distances to different stars in kilometers when given light years (ly), you can use the fact that 1 light year is equal to 9.46 \u00d7 1012 km. If a star is X light years away, you simply multiply X by 9.46 \u00d7 1012 km to get the distance in kilometers.
Alpha Centauri is approximately 4.37 light years away. To find this distance in kilometers:
Distance to Alpha Centauri = 4.37 ly \u00d7 9.46 \u00d7 1012 km/ly = 41.34 \u00d7 1012 km
Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun after the Alpha Centauri system, is about 4.24 light years away. Its distance in kilometers would be calculated as:
Distance to Proxima Centauri = 4.24 ly \u00d7 9.46 \u00d7 1012 km/ly = 40.12 \u00d7 1012 km